Letter 70
You may be surprised that I'm recommending a bishop. It's the man's cause, not his creed, that moves me to write [a telling remark from the last great pagan senator].
Clemens, performing the duty of a good citizen, protected Caesarea — his hometown — by negotiating peace with the highest authorities. You've heard, I'm sure, how during the barbarian uprising, vast quantities of gold and silver, private and public, sacred and secular, were plundered across Mauretania [modern Algeria/Morocco].
During that catastrophe, even funds deposited with the imperial treasury were seized by right of war. The treasury then demanded repayment from the leading citizens — those few whom flight had spared. A harsh and bitter situation — had not Clemens's efforts moved the government to show justice. I'd say he served the honor of our age no less than the safety of his fellow citizens. What would the treasury have gained except resentment, demanding money from a curia that had nothing left?
There you have the situation. What remains is for you to use your influence to help [Text breaks off in source.]
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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